1. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach
Chapter 9

2. Core Case Study: Declining Bird Species (1)
Decline of 70% of 9,775 known species
Birds around humans benefited, but forest species declined
Long-distance migrants – greatest decline

3. Core Case Study: Declining Bird Species (2)
Reasons
Climate change
Habitat loss
Fragmentation
Birds environmental indicators
Perform economic and ecological services

4. Threatened U.S. Songbirds

5. 9-1 What Role Do Humans Play in the Premature Extinction of Species?
Concept 9-1 The current rate of species extinction is at least 100 times the rate that existed before modern humans arrived on earth, and is expected to increase to between 1,000 and 10,000 times the earlier rate during this century.

6. Three Types of Extinction
Local extinction
Ecological extinction
Biological extinction

7. Ecological Smoke Alarms
Endangered species
Threatened species
The first to go large, slow, tasty, or have valuable parts
Some behaviors make species prone to extinction

8. Species Prematurely Extinct

9. Calculating Extinction Rates
Extinction takes a long time, difficult to document
Only identified 1.8 million species – most unknown
Know little of ecological role of most species
Average species survive 1–10 million years
Species-area relationship

10. Endangered or Threatened Species (1)

11. Endangered or Threatened Species (2)

12. California Condor - Gymnogyps californianus
Largest North American bird, largest wingspan
Heavy bird
Vulture => scavenger
Live to 50yrs, sexually mature at 6
Lay only one egg at a time, every other year
Top of food chain
Causes of endangerment:
Poaching (farmers incorrectly assumed they had killed their livestock, museums)
Lead poisoning (eating lead shot in carcasses)
DDT poisoning
Habitat destruction (gold mining)
RECOVERY
Opposed by farmers who maintained misconception
Opposed by those who felt birds had a right to freedom
Captive breeding in San Diego and Los Angeles after all 22 wild birds caught (’87)
Most expensive program ever
Released birds killed by lead and power lines
Captives trained to avoid lines
Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act requires non-lead bullets in range
As of April 2009, 322 individuals including 172 wild

13. Human Activities and Extinction
Background extinction rate
Current rate is 100 times background extinction
Rate likely to rise 1,000–10,000 times with climate change
Is a mass extinction coming?

14. Characteristics of Species Prone to Extinction

15. Percentage of Various Taxa Endangered

16. Current Extinction Rate Estimates Are Conservative
Species and biodiversity decrease in next 50–100 years
Biodiversity hotspot rates higher than global average
Degrading, simplifying, and destroying diverse environments

17. 9-2 Why Should We Care about Preventing Species Extinction?
Concept 9-2 We should prevent the premature extinction of wild species because of the economic and ecological services they provide and because they have a right to exist regardless of their usefulness to us.

18. Value of Species Instrumental value of biodiversity
Food crops
Genetic information
Medicine
Do not know what we lose when species go extinct

19. Nature’s Pharmacy

20. Values of Species Diversity
Recreational pleasure value
Eco-tourism >$500 billion per year
Ethical obligations – intrinsic (existence) value
Foundation of earth’s ecosystems bacteria and other microorganisms

21. 9-3 How Do Humans Accelerate Species Extinction?
Concept 9-3 The greatest threats to any species are (in order) loss or degradation of its habitat, harmful invasive species, human population growth, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation.

22. Underlying and Direct Causes of Depletion
Fig. 9-7, p. 183

23. Secondary Causes of Endangerment and Premature Extinction (HIPPCO)
Habitat destruction
Invasive species
Population growth
Pollution
Climate change
Overexploitation

24. Habitat Loss
Deforestation of tropical areas greatest eliminator of species
Endemic species
Habitat fragmentation

25. Range Reductions in Four Species

26. Species Introductions
Most beneficial – food crops, livestock, pest control
500,000 alien invader species globally
50,000 nonnative species in the U.S.

27. Deliberately Introduced Species

28. Accidentally Introduced Species

29. Case Study: The Kudzu Vine
Kudzu introduced to control erosion
Prolific growth
Uses
Asians use powdered starch in beverages
Source of tree-free paper
Japanese kudzu farm in Alabama

30. Invasive Kudzu Vine
Fig. 9-10, p. 186

31. Disruptions from Accidentally Introduced Species
Downside of global trade
Argentina fire ant
Burmese python

32. Argentina Fire Ant
Fig. 9-11, p. 186

33. Prevention of Nonnative Species (1)
Identify characteristics of successful invaders
Detect and monitor invasions
Inspect imported goods
Identify harmful invasive species and ban transfer

34. Prevention of Nonnative Species (2)
ships discharge ballast waters at sea
introduce natural control organisms of invaders

35. Characteristics of Successful Invaders
Fig. 9-12, p. 187

36. What Can You Do?
Fig. 9-13, p. 188

37. Human Choices Drive Extinction
Human population growth
Excessive, wasteful consumption
Use of pesticides

38. DDT and Bioaccumulation
1950s–1960s fish-eating bird populations drop
DDT biologically magnified in food webs
Bird’s eggshells thin and fragile
Leads to unsuccessful reproduction

39. Bioaccumulation of DDT
Fig. 9-14, p. 188

40. Recovery Bald eagle recovered Factors leading to recovery Ban on DDT
Crackdown on hunting
Prevention of habitat destruction

41. Climate Change and Extinction
More rapid compared to the past
Expected to eliminate >25% of land animal and plant species
Polar bears and penguins threatened

42. Illegal Killing and Trading of Wildlife
Poaching endangers many larger animals, rare plants
Over two-thirds die in transit
Illegal trade $6–$10 billion per year
Wild species depleted by pet trade
Exotic plants often illegally gathered

43. White Rhinoceros Poached for Its Horn
Fig. 9-15, p. 189

44. The Value of Wild Rare Species
Declining populations increase black market values
Rare species valuable in the wild – eco-tourism
Some ex-poachers turn to eco-tourism

45. Rising Demand for Bush Meat
Traditional use of bush meat
Demand increasing with population growth
Increased road access
Loggers, miners, ranchers add to pressure
Local and biological extinctions

46. Bush Meat on the Rise
Fig. 9-16, p. 190

47. 9-4 How Can We Protect Wild Species from Premature Extinction?
Concept 9-4A We can use existing environmental laws and treaties and work to enact new laws designed to prevent species extinction and to protect overall biodiversity.
Concept 9-4B We can help prevent species extinction by creating and maintaining wildlife refuges, gene banks, botanical gardens, zoos, and aquariums.

48. International Treaties
Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

49. Case Study: Controversy over the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1)
National Marine Fisheries Services – ocean species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – other species
Listings based on biological factors
Forbids federal agency projects that jeopardize listed species or habitats

50. Case Study: Controversy over the U.S. Endangered Species Act (2)
Fines violations on private land – 90% listed species on private land
Illegal to sell or buy listed species
1,180 species listed
USFWS and NMFS supposed to prepare recovery plan – 25% species have a plan

51. Case Study: Controversy over the U.S. Endangered Species Act (3)
Successful recovery plans include American alligator and grey wolf
Lax enforcement
Smugglers not aware of dangerous diseases in exotic species
Amended to give private landowners economic incentive to save species

52. Case Study: Controversy over the U.S. Endangered Species Act (4)
ESA protect endangered marine reptiles and mammals
Challenges to protecting marine species
Limited knowledge of species
Difficulty in monitoring and enforcing treaties – open oceans

53. Hawaiian Monk Seal with Plastic Debris
Fig. 9-17, p. 192

54. Endangered Green Sea Turtle
Fig. 9-18, p. 192

55. Opposition to Endangered Species Act
Opponents want:
Voluntary protection on private land
Government compensation for land owners
Bureaucratic obstacles to listing species
Elimination of need for critical habitat
Exemptions granted by Secretary of Interior
Steps to weaken ESA

56. New Ecosystems Approach
Inventory country’s species and ecosystems
Locate and protect the most endangered ecosystems
Make development biodiversity-friendly through financial incentives and technical help

57. Science Focus: Goals of the Endangered Species Act
Biologists defend limited success
Need more funding
Develop recovery plans more quickly
Core habitat established when listed

58. Establish Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge System
Wetland refuges
35 million American visitors
20% of listed species in refuge system

59. Storing Genetic Information
Gene or seed banks
Botanical gardens
Farms – commercial sale of endangered species removes pressure

60. Zoos and Aquariums for Protection
Collect species with long-term goal of returning them into habitat
100–500 captive individuals to avoid extinction
10,000 individuals to maintain capacity for biological evolution

61. 9-5 What Is Reconciliation Ecology?
Concept 9-5 We can help protect some species from premature extinction by finding ways to share the places we dominate with them.

62. Reconciliation Ecology
Danger that biodiversity preserve efforts will fail
Develop reconciliation ecology

63. Case Study: The Blackfoot Challenge (1)
Blackfoot River – large Montana watershed
600 plant and 21 large animal species
Seven human communities, 2,500 rural households
Community established Action Team

64. Case Study: The Blackfoot Challenge (2)
Developed Restoration, sustainable grazing, conservation easement plans
Created corridor between undeveloped lands
Restored wetlands, streams

65. Video: Penguin Rescue
Videos/Penguin_Rescue.mov

66. Video: Bachelor Pad at the Zoo
Videos/Bachelor_Pad_Zoo.mov